Our liquid laundry detergent is handmade in small batches with phthalate free fragrances. No premade, full of unnecessary chemicals detergent base here! Our detergent is high efficiency machine safe. Shake gently before each use. 1/4 c per load. It is perfectly normal for your detergent to have flakes in it (this is the soap) or to be somewhat gel consistency if it has sat for a while. Just remember to shake it a little and it will be fine! All detergent scents have been tested and work in cold, warm and hot water settings. For optimum scent, use detergent and laundry balls in the same scent. The longer you use the products, the more the scent lingers in the fabric!